Blues fill the Big Room with Big Mo & the Full Moon Band

CHICO — On Sunday, Jan. 27, the Sierra Nevada Big Room will be filled with the soulful sounds of local blues-playing favorites Big Mo & the Full Moon Band.

The musical career of Maurice "Big Mo" Huffman originally began in the 1980s when he and drummer Steff Bollack were touring around Germany, entertaining American G.I.'s with a selection of original blues and southern rock-style music.

"I performed and toured in Europe from 1981 to 1989," Huffman said in an interview last week. "After I moved to California (with American-born wife, Robin) I took various jobs, but the music was coming to me almost daily and I started getting a band together."

In 1994, Big Mo & the Full Moon Band was born.

Currently based out of Paradise, the Full Moon Band players include Eric Weber on saxophone, Patrick Hilton on trumpet, Steve Valine on pedal steel guitar, Jeff Rosso on bass, Bob Russel on keys and drummer Zach Cowan. And let's not forget the powerhouse, unmistakably blues vocals of Big Mo himself.

Guest players often include Volker Strifler and Chris Williams on guitar, Carlos Reyes on violin, Mike Emerson on keys and Chico's own Bob Littell on harmonica.

"I am very fortunate to have found these great players," he said. "And my life in California has inspired me to write many styles of songs, this state being so versatile in people and land."

Sunday night's Big Room performance is the main CD release party for "Torn," the group's newest album. "Torn" is one of three recordings, which include "Mo'Love" and "Flipside."

Following a show at the Paradise Ridge Senior Center on Feb. 9, there will be another CD release party in Heidelberg, Germany.

Writing new music, Huffman shared, is what he finds to be the most fun, even though there may be speed-bumps along the way.

"New material comes to me and kind of forces me to sit down and just play it," he said. "The hardest part for me is the lyrics, since my first language is German."

A favorite on the Big Room stage, Big Mo & the Full Moon Band's energy-packed mix of musical styles ? ranging from blues to jazz, southern rock to big band and even country - has earned them the highest praise from critics all around the world. They have previously won the Monterey Bay Blues Festival's Best Blues Band award, as well as 5 local area music awards.

"There are very few spots in the world that have such a great quality of living like here in the Northstate and I am very blessed for people here to embrace my music and give me the chance to do what I love doing so much: singing and playing guitar with my friends. How much better can it get?"